City-based Approach

Understanding the science is only part of the challenge of responding to climate change. Our future ecological sustainability will be reliant on us finding and implementing the right policy solutions.

A city-based approach creates top-down support for bottom-up actions. The World Bank’s Eco²Cities project recognises the importance of involving all stakeholders in committing to a citywide response to the environmental challenge. Creative local level self-reliant solutions will require enabling policies at government level, such as access to good information, consistent regulatory settings, and leadership at all levels.

Leadership at the city level recognises Wellington’s unique environment, geography, biodiversity and natural environment, and intersection with Wellington’s economy, the people who live here and how they interact in the city and wider region. In this way we can ensure our response will be effective and fit-for-purpose for Wellington.

A city-based approach will focus on the levers within our control. City levers can work to manage demand - resource and energy efficiency initiatives, city management systems, land use planning as infrastructure demand management, and build supply-side infrastructure - multimodal transport infrastructure (bus, bicycle lanes) coordinated with urban design, land use, and spatial planning, renewable energy, water and waste water systems, and solid waste management.

Policy settings at national and global levels will also shape our response. A coherent citywide response will help Wellington to take a leadership role beyond the city.

A city-based approach to developing Wellington as an eco-city will need:

A shared commitment from all stakeholders at city-level to Wellington’s future as an eco-city

An understanding of the levers, formal and informal, that can level to incentivise change

Leadership at many levels, including regional, national and international.